City, University of London

University

Library Science

This programme is for students with a first degree or equivalent in any discipline, who have an interest in information communication, and who would like to start or develop a career in information management in libraries, galleries, archives or museums. It is also suitable for professionals wishing to update their knowledge and skills within the discipline.
Library Science is a broad discipline, and it appeals to students prepared to challenge inequalities in information access and use, who enjoy communicating and sharing information, and who like working with information technologies. City's MA/MSc Library Science examines contemporary questions of information communication from a framework of information history and philosophy. Our focus is divided equally between theory and its application to practice. The course spans the fundamental concepts of documentation, collection management, information organisation, access, information literacy, use of new and emergent technologies, methods of investigation and analysis, socio-political implications and policy formulation.
The course equips you with a deep understanding of collection-orientated institutions and services, and their relevance and impact within society. There is a strong focus on ethics, professional communication and networking. You will benefit from a high level of engagement with practitioners, and we are pleased to welcome many leaders in the profession as speakers on our modules. The MA/MSc in Library Science is offered as a one year full-time course, or two year part-time course. On successful completion of the course, you can choose between the award of MA or of MSc. This is usually based on the arts or science content of the work undertaken for the degree, and/or your career aspirations. The course structure and modules are the same for either award. The difference occurs in the focus of the assignments and the dissertation.

Entry requirements

MSc: Applicants should normally hold a second-class honours degree or the equivalent from an international institution in any discipline, or have LIS related work experience. If you do not qualify for direct entry, you may wish to follow a Graduate Diploma pathway to the programme through one of our partners.

Assessment methods

Taught modules are normally delivered through a series of 30 hours of lectures. In addition to lectures and tutorial support, you also have access to a personal tutor. This is an academic member of staff from whom you can gain learning support throughout your degree. In addition, City's online learning environment Moodle contains resources for each of the modules including lecture notes, further reading, web-based media resources and an interactive discussion forum. We expect you to study independently and complete coursework for each module. This should amount to approximately 120 hours per module if you are studying full time. Each module is assessed through coursework, where you will need to answer a variety of assignments to show that you are able to apply your theoretical learning to practical situations.

Sponsorship information

UK/EU applicants - Computer Science Scholarships of £2,000;
International Student Scholarships of £2,000;
City, University of London Graduate Loyalty Discount of £2,500.